Strategy Lead

Wellcome Trust; London; On-site; GBP 94,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Strategy Lead to drive their mission of improving global health. This role involves leading the development of strategic initiatives, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and ensuring that the organization’s resources align with its vision. The successful candidate will possess substantial experience in strategy work, with a focus on simplifying complexity and fostering an inclusive culture. Join a forward-thinking organization that values diversity and innovation, and play a pivotal role in addressing urgent global health challenges while enjoying a hybrid working environment.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in strategy work within large organizations.
• Proven track record in simplifying complexity and developing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the integration of Wellcome's organizational strategy.
• Collaborate with teams to develop inclusive, outcome-focused strategies.

Skills

Strategic Problem-Solving

Research and Analysis

Decision-Making Framework Development

Impact Measurement Systems

Communication Skills

Negotiation and Persuasion

Job description

Salary: £ 93,900

Closing date: Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Contract type: Permanent

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships.

We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.

These challenges need the bold science we support, but they won’t be solved by science alone.

We are looking for a Strategy Lead to join our team.

Where in Wellcome will I be working?

The role reports to the Associate Director (AD), Strategy, you will lead and develop Wellcome's strategy function, enabling teams to apply strategic focus in a dynamic environment to achieve Wellcome’s vision of addressing urgent global health challenges.

The CEO Office is a central nexus for ensuring the organisation’s resources, processes, and activities are aligned to deliver Wellcome’s mission and strategy. It has a crucial role in developing Wellcome's strategy, related programmes and initiatives, and monitoring organisational impact.

What will I be doing?

In this role, you'll lead the integration and advancement of Wellcome's organisational strategy, aligning efforts across health challenges and discovery research to inform strategic decision-making through robust, evidence-based assessments. You'll collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop inclusive, outcome-focused strategies, harness diverse perspectives to anticipate global trends, and guide a dynamic team, ensuring innovation while fostering an inclusive culture and maintaining cost-effective operations.

As a Strategy Lead, you will:

• Integrate Wellcome's organisational strategy and its key components, including Health Challenges and Discovery Research, ensuring their impact is coherent and unified.

• Collect and present evidence and recommendations on the progress and impact of Wellcome’s strategy to inform decision-making and resource allocation by the Executive Committee and Board every year and in depth every 3-5 years.

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop clear, focused, and inclusive strategies that leverage Wellcome’s differentiators and contribute to a unified organisational strategy.

• Establish and consistently apply appropriate standards, methodologies, or frameworks to ensure programmes are outcome-focused, evidence-based, and flexible for effective communication and decision-making.

• Engage diverse thought leaders and apply an inclusive perspective to identify global trends and opportunities, shaping Wellcome's strategic priorities and long-term impact.

• Contribute to a diverse and inclusive culture across the organisation, collaborating across departments.

Is this job for me?

In this role, you will be applying your expertise across various facets of strategy work, such as research and analysis, decision-making framework development, and strategic problem-solving within large organisations to create significant value. You will simplify complexity, set standards, and support flexible strategy development for major interdisciplinary programmes, while engaging with senior officials to effectively set and track the impact of the organisational strategy.

We are looking for someone with:

• Substantial experience in broad strategy work, including research, analysis, idea development, and strategic problem-solving within large organisations to create significant value.

• Proven track record of simplifying complexity and supporting strategy development in major interdisciplinary programmes and complex systems.

• Experience in developing and implementing impact measurement systems to inform decision-making, while presenting to senior officials to set and track organisational strategy impact.

• Ability to deliver work priorities efficiently by building active support from others, even without direct authority, while navigating organisational risk and ambiguity.

• Skilled in developing and executing corporate strategic initiatives using project and programme methodologies, with strong leadership in managing and motivating a diverse and inclusive team.

• Expertise in rapid information assessment, negotiation, and persuasion, with outstanding time management, communication, facilitation, and the ability to work flexibly through ambiguity.

Minimum Criteria:

• Substantial experience of a broad range of strategy work (such as research and analysis, idea development, scoping, options appraisals, decision making framework development, outcome definition and iteration, horizon-scanning, strategic problem solving and issue resolution and creative facilitation) in a large organisation to create significant value

• Experience of working closely with and presenting to senior officials in a large organisation to set and track the impact of organisational strategy

• Substantial experience of bringing simplicity to complexity, setting standards and supporting flexible strategy development for major, interdisciplinary programmes in complex systems

• Experience identifying, successfully rolling out and ensuring effective use of impact measurement systems to inform decision making

Interview dates: w/c 09/06 and 16/06

You can view the full job description on our website

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website

Our Hybrid Way of Working

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best.

At Wellcome we have a hybrid way of working which is 3 days in our Euston Road offices (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome . We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at [e-mail].

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